COMMENTARY>>Commander’s Action Line: Surcharges at dining hall

Question: Based on information I have read, retirees shouldn’t be charged a surcharge for eating at the dining hall under the test program. Am I wrong? I enjoy eating at the dining hall on weekends, but the 30-percent surcharge I was charged is a bit much.

Answer: You’re referring to the Food Transformation Initiative that our base and five others will be going through in the very near future. FTI is scheduled to start here on or around Oct. 1, but until then, we’re still using the legacy a la carte feeding system, which allows customers to choose what they want to eat and only pay food costs on those items along with a 33-percent surcharge at the register.

All cash-paying customers, except dependants of E-4 and below and non-profit youth organizations such as Boy and Girl Scouts of America and Junior ROTC cadets, pay this operating surcharge cost and will continue to do so until FTI officially starts up its operations.

These surcharge operating costs are used to help offset the costs for the mess attendant contract and the replacement of equipment. The information about FTI is correct when it says customers won’t pay an added surcharge on top of the menu price because the menu price will cover the costs of food and all operating costs, which will equate to what FTI calls the market price.

Thank you again for your question, because this gave us another opportunity to clear up some confusion that may exist with other customers as well. Combat Airlift!